photography

Lessons Learned From Photographing Stylish Homes, Apartment Therapy

A shutterbug tells all, gives advice to obsessive decorators, and even suggests there’s hope for the design-challenged. My favorite recommendation? This…

“People, pets and plants —life — are what bring energy, vitality and joy on the screen and in a real space…Meaningful conversation, good laughs, or a cat stretching in a pool of sun are better accessories than coordinated vases any day.”

Agreed. Especially the part about cats, of course. ;->

Smart Homes of Smart People, Consumer Affairs

Who knew Consumer Affairs had a sense of humor? See the homes of people from history and the home automation feature the website thinks they might gravitate toward, if they were alive today. My favorite was Carl Sagan, whose ultra-modern Ithaca, NY, house is pictured above. What do you think he’d choose? Follow the link to find out what was chosen for him and 11 other brainiacs.

Ying Gao

The 15 Best Fashion Exhibits of 2016, Condé Nast Traveler

From 1940s Italian couture to Downton Abbey to what makes something vulgar to wearable technology, this slide show previews this year’s most anticipated fashion exhibitions around the world. Check out the Pratt Gallery in NYC through April 30 to see a demo of the dress pictured above. It uses voice stress analysis to tell when someone’s lying.

Not sure if it works on the wearer’s speech or those who talk to her or both, but it looks mighty intriguing. You won’t see that on the fashion week runways. Maybe we could have it follow the presidential candidates around and report back.

Mattel

Happy Birthday, Barbie! Take a Look Back at All of Her Dreamhouses, Vogue

Wednesday, March 9 was indeed Barbie’s birthday (she turned 57 but still claims to be 29), and this slideshow shows the evolution of the Barbie Dreamhouse for all of us interior design lovers. Who knew our favorite fashion doll owned more real estate than Ellen DeGeneres? (Okay, that’s probably an exaggeration. My bad.)

A few other tidbits I picked up from the story: Barbie has an “official narrative,” including a middle name (Millicent) and a birthplace (Willows, Wisconsin). I’m liking her 1979 digs (pictured) myself, but you’ll want to see all 10, particularly if you still play with yours. Ahem.

More must-reads for designaholics:

The Most Successful Creative People Constantly Say, ‘No,’ Business Insider
The Precarious State of Logo Design, Fast Co Design
The Trappist Monk Whose Calligraphy Inspired Steve Jobs—and influenced Apple’s Design, Washington Post

QUIZ alert: What Style Wall Décor Are You?, Ballard Designs/How to Decorate

Just 10 questions about your life and decorating preferences and priorities, all multiple choice. You also get examples of the kind of art the quiz says you’ll like, as well as links to other Ballard blog posts on designing with art. Results were surprisingly accurate—for me anyway:

Your Answer is: Abstract Art

You love to think for yourself and interpret the world around you. We think you need a piece of abstract art, which can take on new meaning as your world changes. Its mystery will keep you guessing!

Well how about this: I just happen to have a link to a tutorial on making your own abstract art…